What to Engrave on Medical ID Jewelry

Sure, you know you should wear some sort of medical ID, but maybe you haven’t bought one yet because you just don’t know what to engrave on it.

Carefully considering what to engrave on your ID is important because your ID conveys critical information that first responders need to treat you quickly and avoid allergies or drug interactions. You want to be able to display the important information without over-crowding your ID.

2. Name– If your name is listed on your medical ID, first responders will save time searching for another form of identification to start a file and treatment.If you’re purchasing an ID for someone you care for—a child or someone with autism, a mental illness or dementia—consider engraving both that person’s name and your name as a caregiver.

3. Allergies– It’s important to note substances that can cause severe allergic reactions leading to anaphylactic shock, such as allergies to foods, insect stings, and drugs. Noting allergies prevents first responders and medical professionals from administering medications that could worsen your condition.

4. Medications- This is extremely important if you take a medication that could react to any other drug that may be used for your treatment. Blood thinners are one of the most commonly engraved medications.

BONUS: Contact Number – Although there will not always be room, it can be helpful to engrave the phone number of an emergency contact who will be able to provide additional medical information. However, we do strongly recommend this if the person wearing the ID is in the care of a caregiver.

If you have multiple conditions, allergies or medications, you might need a little extra help deciding what is most important to include. Although some IDs have more space than others, everything may not fit on a medical ID. Your doctor can help you decide what is most medically important to include. For example, you should definitely list diabetes and a penicillin allergy, but you don’t need to list that you take an antihistamine daily for seasonal allergies. Make sure you double-check the spelling of conditions, medications and allergies before you purchase your ID. Check out our list of common terms on the engraving page on each of our products.

Some medical IDs include engraving space on two sides, allowing the most information to be included. If you still find you need to list more, consider a wallet card that you carry with you, or adding a personal health record account like MyIHR to your ID.